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Brief Synopsis

Documentary about big game hunter Frank Buck''''s Malaysian safari.

Frank Buck, an experienced American animal trapper, leaves from Singapore with Ali, his "number one boy," on an expedition into the Malayan jungle. From their jungle headquarters just north of Singapore, Frank, Ali and a team of native helpers roam the area from Northern Johore to Perak in search of interesting wild animals, reptiles and birds. As soon as they set out, they encounter both exotic and familiar jungle creatures, including rhesus monkeys, wild boars and a proboscis monkey. Buck's first catch of the expedition is a monitor lizard, a rare example of the most primitive of reptiles. Later, at night, he literally bags a black leopard. Another black leopard narrowly escapes an encounter with a giant python and then battles a bigger and stronger tiger. After successfully trapping a spotted leopard using a wooden cage baited with water buffalo meat, Frank adopts a baby honey bear, who soon becomes the favorite of his growing menagerie. A baby elephant is also adopted and fed coconut milk and strained rice through a handmade bamboo baby bottle. Frank next captures a Sumatran orangutan but fails to trick the elusive tiger into stepping into his camouflaged pit. As a diversion, Frank visits the "bathing festival" of a local tribe and watches as tribesmen kill an intruding spotted leopard with their blow darts. The tiger then meets up with an enormous regal python, who has just crushed a crocodile, and fights to a draw with it. Determined to add the tiger to his collection, Frank builds another cage with bait and finally lures the animal inside. His job completed, Frank leaves the jungle and returns to America.